what I'm making right now...

I have a few rules when creating a recipe. One of them is the food I make has to offer at least one surprise in the mouth. Familiar tastes, sure, but it needs a kind of U-turn if you will from what you expected. There is nothing more exciting to a chef, or a wanna be chef, than seeing the person eating your food raise their eyebrows in surprise and exclaim, "...now that is really good! What's the other flavor I'm getting? ....(nom, nom...) yah..really good."

Those cute little fruits are just my passion this season. Aside from their beautiful shape and color, I find myself thinking of ways I can use them in just about every kind of food there is. It's not difficult, really something orange, or orange flavor fits every ethnic expression, from appetizers, to main course foods, to desserts. And in this case I love using citrus fruits to make vinaigrettes. Zingy yet sweet vinaigrettes. Like the one in this Quinoa salad that uses Olive Crate's Honey Balsamic Vinegar, and Penzeys Singapore seasoning. Looking for a U-turn? This one is full of it. Click to read the ingredients of the Penzeys seasoning, and you'll want some NOW.

If you Google benefits of orange oil, you get all kinds of exciting results. It claims to be an anti-inflammatory, an antidepressant, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, carminative, diuretic, tonic, sedative, and a cholagogic substance. (Yeah, I didn't get that last one either. No worries...pass me another mandarin section, please..)

​The good news is, what I did create here met all my criteria. Yummy, blingy, (meaning danged gorgeous on your plate,) exciting flavors, and healthy as well. And since another benefit might be fighting Alzheimer's, you'll never forget to make this dish again and again and again... and again.

Heat a large sauté pan to medium high heat. Add 1 T oil and add onion and butternut squash. Cook about 20 minutes, turning often and letting it brown and caramelize. Remove and set aside. Cook quinoa and set aside. In a large bowl assemble quinoa, broccoli, onions, raisins, tomatoes, and cooked squash. In a small bowl, add 3 T oil, juice of and zest of mandarins, Singapore seasoning, both vinegars, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk vigorously to incorporate. Taste and season as needed. Should be sweet but balanced.

Note: Can add cooked chicken or shrimp to make a main course meal if desired.

It was 39 degrees F this morning. 39, people. Two days ago the high was 89! I don't know if I should buy sandals or gloves. There is one decision, however, that is easy to make this time of year. And that is that soup fits when autumn comes along in her indecisive, but beautiful way.

Check out the dual bowl poetry below, with recipes at the end of each feature!

I'm going to share two one-pot meals in this post. One is vegetarian but exceedingly meat friendly. It's that beautiful, golden bowl of fall harvest color you see above. Butternut squash is the star as it floats in a lovely broth surrounded by two kinds of mushrooms and hearty wild rice. I just love when you get your Dutch oven out, prep your ingredients, and the kitchen does not look like you've exploded a shopping cart because it all happens IN ONE PAN. This was fast, bright, fresh and perfect for falling into fall. It took about 30 minutes to make. That means that hungry and confused diners can be eating in no time. And you can be nourishing them without a lot of fuss.

I served it with this a spinach salad adorned with jumbo shrimp, San Marzano tomatoes and a lime, cilantro vinaigrette. But you could just as easily add some chicken to this soup and have it represent the whole meal. Or add veal. Or even hamburger if you have a carnivorous bunch. A dash of bright parsley keep the spoons full and coming back for more.

In a large Dutch oven pan, heat the butter and oil. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook on high until browned, about 3 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the can of corn, the stock, the wine, the seasonings, and stir until bubbling. Add the squash, the lemon, and the rice. Lower heat, cover and let lightly bubble for 20 minutes, or until rice is done and squash is soft. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. (I ended up using probably 1 t at least of kosher salt and ½ t black pepper.) Stir in the parsley, serve!

*I used a jasmine and wild rice medley that said 20 minutes cooking time. But I find that some wild rice medleys take MUCH longer. If your rice package says it takes longer, start the rice and don’t add the squash until you are about 20 minutes away from the soup being ready to serve.**Duxelles is an herb medley with a mushroom base that can be found at specialty stores. The deep, earthy sweet flavor is what really makes this soup memorable. I bought mine at Savory Spice Shop®. I encourage you to find and use it often! It SINGS in deviled eggs!!!

Warm, Fast, Fun Food 2: Italian Meatball, Vegetable Stew

You see it, don't you. This is REAL food. Potatoes, carrots, onions and yes, Brussel sprouts. All swimming in a deep, dark, savory gravy. And crowned with the greatest comfort of all, Italian sausage meatballs. But when you bite into it, there's another bit of spice that absolutely makes every flavor more real and more exciting. And that is the addition of a bit of Singapore Seasoning from Penzys Spices. Which is a sophisticated blend utilizing the Chinese 5-Spice medley but deeper, more savory, more perfect.

In a large glass bowl combine the sausage, egg, cream, dried oregano and about 1 t salt and ¼ t black pepper, and combine. Add the breadcrumbs and combine. Mixture should stick together nicely but not be too dry. Form into small meatballs, set aside. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 T oil. Add the meatballs and cook by browning on both sides for about 3-4 minutes but NOT cooking them all the way through. Remove, cover meatballs.

In the same saucepan, add the onions, carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and Penzy’s seasoning, along with a little salt. Stirfry on medium high until the carrots begin to soften. Then add the stock, and stir until bubbling, reducing slightly. Mix the flour with a little water, whisking to smooth the flour into the water. Remove pan from heat and stir in the flour mixture, using a large spoon to move the roux through the stock until it thickens. It shouldn’t be too thick at this point and it will tighten as it finishes cooking. Now add the meatballs back in, and let it bubble for about another 4 minutes until meat is cooked through.

Serve in bowls with your choice of bread.

*If you buy a pre-made beef stock, the saltiness may vary. Taste often throughout the process for proper seasoning.​

Meet the Cook...

My name is Camine Pappas and I love to create beautiful and delicious food that anyone can make. My signature style centers around a love for combining things in a way you might not expect as I work to find a hidden combination of colors, textures and flavors from the things that are in my pantry and/or easy to obtain.

Want to get spontaneous with me? It's pretty exciting. Let's all find out what happens when, "I Feel Like Cooking."